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7/30/2019 Abrahams - Inspire Guidance-Based Martial Arts Program Self Esteem Intervention for at-Risk Elementary and Mid

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Article 20

InSpire Guidance-Based Martial Arts Program:

A Self-Esteem Intervention for At-Risk Elementary

and Middle School Students

Christine Abrahams

Introduction

The InSpire Program was implemented in a Grades 412

alternative school in Pennsylvania with a population of at-risk students

who engage in violence and who have been the subject of bullying.

InSpire stands for the main tenets and student goals of the program:

integrating self-control, perseverance, integrity, responsibility andexcellence. To achieve these objectives, students were given

alternative methods to conceptualize conflict, express differences,

and solve problems. The InSpire Program provides students with

access to the language of nonviolent confrontation as well as enabling

them to view conflict as a process with multiple potential outcomes.

This type of instruction can result in better adaptation to conflict and

the development of more socially acceptable ways of expressing andsolving differences.

Students at risk realize their potential more fully through learning

the traditional discipline of martial arts in a contemporary educational

setting. The rich history and strong values imparted by learning the

Do (the Way) are combined with physical exercise, communications

training, and guidance support, thereby simultaneously developing

students minds, bodies, and spirits. The initial student goals of the

program included the following: Increased self-esteem and confidence in interpersonal


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relationships

Decreased depression

Improved conflict resolution skills

Enhanced critical thinking skills Better relationships with parents and authority figures

Improved impulse control

Broadened perspective on the roles of communications

and power in relationships

The program also supported the schools goals by working to decrease

incidences of violence, increase student focus, and decrease

absenteeism.The InSpire Program used a combination of physical discipline;

guidance support; psychological, cognitive, and behavioral

techniques; curriculum integration, and family groups to meet the

goals mentioned above. The program integrated the noncompetitive,

noncontact martial arts curriculum into the school day for a weekly

40-minute session. The classroom curriculum focused on the different

ethical tenets of the martial arts such as self-control, perseverance,integrity, responsibility, and excellence. The program provided the

teachers a context within which to describe appropriate behavior in

the classroom. At the elementary level, the teacher created a key

system. The students decided which key they wanted to strive for:

self-control, perseverance, integrity, responsibility or excellence. If

their behavior matched the tenet, they were awarded a key that was

displayed in the classroom.

In addition, the guidance curriculum formed a value-added linkbetween guidance objectives and the reinforcement of positive

classroom behavior. Finally, the family group created an opportunity

for all InSpire students and their families to participate in improving

the dynamics of their family relationships.

Martial Arts Class

The martial arts portion of the class included meditation and

visualizations followed by physical exercise consisting of


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noncompetitive, noncontact traditional martial arts forms practice (a

series of choreographed moves) and self-defense techniques. The

program followed a belt-level progression, giving students the ability

to work toward a macro goal, such as becoming a black belt, andmicro goals, such as getting a stripe for knowing their form, which

would lead toward black belt. This goal-based focus kept students

interested and taught them the values of perseverance, self-control,

and personal victory. In addition, students were required to wear the

InSpire uniform, which consisted of a t-shirt with the tenets on the

back, martial arts pants, and a belt for which they had to test. Each

student received an academic achievement award patch on their

uniform pants, which helped link the lessons learned in the martialarts class to their regular class.The classroom teachers could

recommend a star for outstanding academic achievement or any other

outstanding work done by the student a week prior to the class. The

student with the most stars became the high rank in class.

Sensei

The key to the program was the martial arts instructor who

conducted the classes. Research indicates that the relationship with

the sensei becomes significant for students. The sensei becomes the

trusted authority figure who teaches, models, and reinforces many of

the core values these students are lacking (Tremlow & Sacco, 1998).

In addition, the sensei becomes part of the school interdisciplinary

team for the student. The relationship with the sensei provides an

additional motivation for the students to come to school and continuein school.

Philosophy

The design of the InSpire Program was based on the best elements

of existing school-based martial arts programs with consideration

that the program needed to be flexible enough to meet the needs ofthe at-risk population while fitting into an existing school structure.

In addition, because the martial arts experience affects one physically,


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mentally, and emotionally, it was important to create a program that

was linked to character education and guidance objectives, thereby

heavily involving the school counselors. Each martial arts session

presented an opportunity for students to behave as they usually do,get immediate feedback, and learn to make choices about future

behavior. These microcosmic experiences were processed either

immediately after the martial arts session or at their next group session

which helped the students discuss different ways of approaching the

next martial arts class. For example, the martial arts classes created

many conflicting feelings in the students about themselves and about

their relationship to authority, which the counselor could help them

process immediately. Afterward, students were able to work throughany conflicting feelings in their next martial arts class. Although the

goals of the program were similar to many developmental guidance

goals, the true purpose of the program was to help the students develop

coping mechanisms within a unique learning environment that forced

them to face the obstacles that were preventing them from being

successful in life.

Research was conducted using the Multiscore DepressionInventory (MDI; Berndt, 1986) and the Multidimensional Self

Concept Scale (MSCS; Braken, 1994) at both the beginning and end

of the program. Preliminary results showed an increase in participating

students overall self-concept and a decrease in key depression

subscales. Although quantitative data did not yield significant results,

this does not mean that a program such as InSpire cannot have an

impact on decreasing depression and increasing self-esteem in at-

risk students. Qualitative reports indicated positive differences inwhich students handled both in-school and out-of-school challenges.

In each martial arts class, the students were reminded about the

tenets and how they could be used in different situations. The tenet

of self-control was given the most emphasis by the sensei and the

group counseling lessons. It became clear that the students began to

internalize this tenet in many cases. For example, in one case an

elementary student was confronted by a bully at his local YMCA andinstead of responding by hitting the bully or engaging in a verbal

sparring match, the student remembered what his sensei told the class


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to do and he got the help of a teacher. He reported this to his mother

by saying, I didnt hit the boy because Mr. Kanabay (the sensei)

told us to have self-control and to get help.

Another example of a student internalizing the tenets was duringthe rank ceremony at which the students demonstrated their martial

arts skills in front of the entire school, district administrators, and

parents and then were promoted to their next belt level. One middle

school student had not tested for his orange belt because of

misbehavior that led to the consequence of missing the testing session.

He told the sensei that he took full responsibility for missing the

testings and that he wanted to test at the rank ceremony. The sensei

was reluctant because of the added pressure of the audience and certainpossibility of the student failing. However, the student convinced

him, using verbal persuasion, and, passed. The student had

demonstrated the tenets of both responsibility and perseverance in

this case.

Discussion

There have been a number of school-based martial arts programs

implemented across the country with positive results (Edelman,1994;

Glanz, 1994; Pirie, 1999; Shafii & Shafii, 2001; Smith, Tremlow &

Sacco, 1998; Trulson, 1986; Zivinet, 2001). It is not clear why the

trend has not increased. One reason may be that the term martial

arts conjures up images of violentMatrix-like martial arts. Because

many school administrators may not be familiar with the research

about martial arts programs lowering violent and aggressive behaviorin adolescents and increasing self-esteem, they might think these

programs would have the opposite effect. Finally, in an administrators

mind, the perceived increased liability might be too daunting to

include a martial arts program in their schools.

Counselors can play a role by educating themselves about the

different types of programs so they can articulate the benefits to school

administrators. The counselor can support the program as facilitatorand martial arts teacher supervisor to ensure that the program will

support the children holistically, adding a strong basis in counseling


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psychology. Perhaps if a school counselor or psychologist were to

endorse a martial arts curriculum, it would have more credibility with

the administration, dispelling the myth that the program might be

too violent.For martial arts programs to proliferate in school systems, there

should be further research measuring the awareness of administrators

and their potential resistance to implementing such a program. An

appropriately designed education program addressing resistance and

dispelling myths for counselors and administrators could follow.

Finally, research should be completed about the effects of a

martial arts program on girls. In the InSpire Program, there were

only three actively participating girls at the middle school level. Aguidance-based martial arts program should be tested on girls only,

beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school,

to see if studying the martial arts consistently through the years could

reduce issues connected to poor self-esteem, depression, unwanted

pregnancy, abuse (such as cutting) and eating disorders. Research

should also be conducted to see whether it would be more beneficial

to have all-female martial arts classes, providing a relational basedand supportive atmosphere, or whether it would be better for girls to

be in a co-ed environment, where they and their male counterparts

can learn to interact constructively.

Summary

The purpose of implementing the InSpire Program was to see if

a guidance-based martial arts program for at-risk elementary andmiddle school students could increase their levels of self-esteem and

self-control and decrease their levels of depression. The research was

conducted at an alternative school in Pennsylvania where students

were in an emotional support program.The program utilized a

traditional martial arts approach that was linked to character education

and guidance objectives and supported by classroom curriculum and

family group meetings for students involved. Although the preliminaryresults of the program showed an increase in participating students

overall self-concept and a decrease in key depression subscales, the


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statistical analysis did not show significant changes. However,

qualitative reports indicated positive differences in which students

handled both in-school and out-of-school challenges.

Conclusion

The InSpire Program should be replicated in additional

alternative settings as well as in mainstream schools and with a larger

sample size than used in this study. More programs like this one that

use the martial arts in schools through an integrated and flexible

approach should be pursued on a larger scale because it not only

provides children with a unique physical outlet, but also contributesto their emotional and spiritual development. The program is both

cost effective and easy to implement, and the school can choose to

use such a program to fulfill a students physical education

requirements.

References

Berndt, D. J. (1986).Multiscore Depression Inventory manual. Los

Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

Bracken, B.A.(1994). Multidimensional Self Concept Scale

examiners manual. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Edelman, A. J. (1994). The implementation of a video-enhanced

aikido-based program to reduce disruptive and assaultivebehaviors among severely emotionally disturbed adolescents.

Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Nova Southeastern University.

Glanz, J. (1994). A school/curricular intervention martial arts

program for at-risk students.Paper presented at the Annual

Meeting of the Safe Schools Coalition on Gangs, Schools &

Community, Orlando, Florida.


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Pirie, D., (1999). Kick Drugs Out of America Program Evaluation

Executive Summary.

Shafii, M. & Shafii, S. L. (Eds.). (2001). School violence: Assessment,management, prevention. Washington,DC: American Psychiatric

Publishing.

Smith, J., Tremlow, S. W., & Hoover, D. W. (1999). Bullies, victims

and bystanders: A method of in-school intervention and possible

parental contributions. Child Psychology and Human

Development, 30(1), 2937.

Tremlow, S. W., & Sacco, F. C. (1998). The application of traditional

martial arts practice and theory to the treatment of violent

adolescents.Adolescence, 33(131), 505518.

Trulson, M.E. (1986). Martial arts training: A novel cure for juvenile

delinquency.Human Relations,39(12), 11311140.

Zivin, G., Hassan, N. R., DePaula, G. F., Monti, D. A., Harlan, C.

Hossain, K. D. et al. (2001). An effective approach to violence

prevention: Traditional martial arts in middle school.

Adolescence, 36(143), 443459.

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